Tuesday, December 14
Sometimes, having darkness fall earlier in the day wasn’t such a bad thing. Due to the encroaching dark and the thermometer dipping down below the freezing point, there were few people around the East Potomac Park at Hains Point. Drayco leaned against his car, looking out over the grayish-green water of the Potomac River.
Soon, another car pulled up near his, the only two cars at the little park. Even in the dim light from the crescent moon, Alistair Brisbane looked very much the part of a gentleman kingpin as he exited the car to stand beside Drayco.
He said, “I was a little surprised to get your call. As I understand it, your case has reached a resolution.”
“You could call it that.”
“Yet, you don’t sound pleased.”
“Why should I be? Three senseless murders over a shiny little rock. And a woman who was once a leading figure in the music world will spend the rest of her life in a dingy little cell.”
“Oh, I don’t know about the latter part. A good attorney could get her committed to an institution. An incompetency defense.”
Drayco uttered a humorless chuckle. “And five years from now, she’ll be rehabilitating her career by going on the chat circuit.”
Alistair looked up at the moon, shining brightly with no obscuring clouds. “Nice night.”
“A good night for a few answers.”
“From me, I take it. I suppose I owe you that.”
“Did you help Graham Tibbs disappear when he learned about Alec Van Sandt’s murder and the treasure?”
“He wasn’t involved in Van Sandt’s death. But when he found out his friend was, he felt he’d get sucked into the heist plot. He told me he’d rather die than go to prison again.”
“I guess he got his wish, in a way.”
“And I am beyond furious that Graham’s friend was the one who killed him. It’s probably a good thing the man is dead.”
Drayco glanced over at Alistair, noting his tight jaw. Maybe Ezra Layton’s demise was going to happen one way or another, all things being equal. Drayco asked, “Since you knew Layton was involved in Van Sandt’s death and the treasure hunt, why didn’t you do anything about him then?”
“I investigated Layton. But after searches of Van Sandt’s properties by my associates, there were no signs of the diamond. Still, I kept an eye on Layton. And also on you, when you got close to him.”
“Have you done a little tailing recently? In a black car with tinted windows and an untraceable temp tag?”
“I like to protect my investments.”
“And I’m one of your investments, now, am I?”
Alistair chuckled. “You definitely have a great deal of worth. I knew I was kidnapping the right person.”
“It was Graham who broke into the home of Van Sandt’s daughter and stole the treasure puzzle and a recording with ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ on it, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, and I am sick to death of that damn song. Graham played it all the time. And I’m a fan of big band music, too.” He paused and then added, “I’ve still got that LP of his. Want it?”
Drayco surprised himself by saying, “Yes. Yes, I would.” If nothing else, he could return it to Van Sandt’s daughter.
The fact Alistair liked big band music was one of the first personal details Drayco ever got out of his uncle. It humanized him a little bit. Drayco reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box he handed over.
Alistair stared at him for a moment and then took the box. He flipped it open and raised an eyebrow as he noted what was inside. “I’m surprised you didn’t take this to the police. Or the FBI.”
“I learned my lesson with the rare Chopin manuscript and its jewel-encrusted case found inside my opera house. Both are still tied up in legal maneuvering.”
Alistair nodded. “You’re correct it would be a long time before this was returned to my friend. That is, if you’d gone through normal channels. And my friend is elderly and could die before he ever sees it again.”
“If any law enforcement types find out about this, I can kiss my career goodbye.”
“You haven’t told anyone else about this? Not even your father or Agent Sargosian?”
Drayco shook his head. “You’re the first. I didn’t want to implicate them as accessories if it comes to that.”
“This means you trust me to return the diamond to its rightful owner. And ultimately the museum where it’s headed?”
“I don’t know about the trust part. But let’s just say I’ll be watching to read about the diamond’s sudden discovery and the announcement of the museum’s new exhibition.”
That elicited a full-blown chuckle from the other man. “I would expect no less.”
“One thing’s been bothering me. Did you already know the solution to the puzzle, with the latitude and longitude coordinates, when you had me kidnapped?”
“I did not.”
“But you searched Van Sandt’s house and resort.”
“My associates checked into those properties, yes. But it was years ago right after the man’s death. They found nothing, of course. Except for Graham’s theft of the puzzle from Van Sandt’s daughter’s house.”
“Well, someone broke into the resort recently, so that must have been Ezra Layton and Connie Burdell.”
“That seems logical.”
“So, you kidnapped me not only to decipher the puzzle but because you knew I wouldn’t let the whole thing go–and would help you find the diamond?”
“Of course. You are obsessive, loyal, smart, and talented. Speaking of which, I never heard how the scholarship recital audition went. I called them, but they said to speak to you first.”
Drayco rubbed his arm. “Let’s just say it didn’t go according to plan. The committee and I have arranged for scholarship students to play a few of my compositions instead.”
Alistair’s eyes widened at Drayco’s words. “Your compositions? I had no idea. I’m doubly impressed. I’d be more than happy to provide the funds to have them published.”
“Thanks, but I’ll hold off on that. For now.”
Alistair pocketed the diamond with a small sigh. “The roads we choose. How differently things could have been for you, for me, for us, if only . . . ” He paused for a moment, looking at the Potomac. “I have a feeling I know why you picked this spot for our meeting. This is where you dove into the water to save your mother. I can imagine her pride at learning you’re a composer now.”
As he turned to walk back to his car, Alistair patted Drayco on the shoulder and said quietly, “She loves you, you know.”
As Alistair cranked up his car engine and pulled away, the man’s wording hit Drayco with full force. He’d used the present tense, not the past. So was Drayco’s mother still alive, after all?
He barely had time to contemplate that when another, more familiar car slid into the same parking space Alistair had vacated. Brock motioned to his son, who climbed into the passenger seat and said, “This is a huge coincidence. Not.”
“I had an inkling you might pull something like this. After what Alistair did to you with the kidnapping, I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. So I admit it. I followed you.”
For some reason, Drayco didn’t feel irritated this time. In fact, he was touched by the gesture. “Well, I doubt I’ll be seeing Alistair again. For a long while.”
“It’s just a good thing I got stopped by a couple of red lights and an ambulance, or I would have got here in time to punch Alistair’s smug face.”
“If you lost my trail, how did you know where I was headed?”
“I had a hunch.”
Drayco retrieved an object out of the pocket of his coat and handed it over to Brock. His father took the unlabeled DVD as Drayco explained, “Alistair gave it to me.”
Brock asked, “Related to the case?”
“At first, I thought it might be. He said he pulled some strings to get it. Take a look.”
Brock manipulated the overhead flip-down video system and put the DVD into the player. A tall young man walked out onto a wide stage in front of an orchestra and bowed as the audience began applauding, then sat down at the waiting piano and began to play.
Brock watched, mesmerized. When the piece ended, he paused the DVD. “When was that taken? You can’t be more than sixteen.”
“Fifteen, actually. It was with the Philadelphia Orchestra. A pirated video someone made.”
Brock’s voice had a slight hitch as he replied, “God, I’m sorry I never made it to most of those. You were a damned fine pianist.”
Not wanting to talk about it further, Drayco changed the subject. “One little gemstone started this whole case. One little rock associated with so many failed legacies and dreams.”
“Too bad about that diamond. Guess we’ll never know what happened to it,” Brock looked over at his son out of the corner of his eye.
“Oh, I don’t know. These things have a funny way of turning up.”
“Well, if it’s ever found and magically appears in that Uzbekistan museum, we’ll see if it can finally break the cycle of curses.”
“Magically appears?”
“If you can call airplane travel and intermediaries magical, then yes.”
Drayco stuck his fingers in his ears. “La la la la la.” He removed them to add, “I didn’t hear any of that.”
Brock laughed. “How old are you, seven?”
“Going on eight, I think.” Drayco looked up at the night sky through the car window. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are . . . ”
“Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky?”
“Graham Tibbs isn’t around for me to ask, but I suppose we can guess the story behind his obsession with the nursery tune.”
“And maybe yours?”
Drayco smiled briefly. “Maybe.” But was it the diamond connection that made Graham obsessed with the song? Or the fact the song was tied to his dead mother?
Drayco popped out the DVD and pocketed it again. “I have to wonder if Aria D’Angelo broke that glass piece from Ezra Layton on purpose. In retrospect, the octahedron inside looked an awful lot like a diamond. Perhaps a little joke between them.”
“Could be, could be. What a pair.”
Drayco turned to look at the back seat of Brock’s car. “No Joyelle?”
“She was busy tonight. The gallery opening is tomorrow evening.”
“Oh, lord, I’d forgotten about that.”
“You are coming, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. Has she—and you—forgiven me for doubting her integrity?”
“She was in the business. She understands what it means to have to question everything and everyone. Even if you love them.”
“Guess I could give it a try.”
“Several people you know will be there. Benny and Lailani Baskin, Mark and Elaine Sargosian, Nelia Tyler.”
Drayco sighed inwardly. Sarg had phoned him earlier to relay that Nelia had once again called him to see how Drayco and his father were doing. At least she still cared to some degree.
Brock reached down to pick up a small rock from the cup holder, explaining, “Found this in the driveway as I was leaving,” and he turned it over in his hand. “It’s funny what humans consider valuable. Not this rock, of course. But another rock, made of clear carbon.”
“And even stranger what lengths humans will go to possess those little rocks.”
Brock opened his window and tossed the rock outside. “All I know is I have something very valuable right here,” and he pointed at Drayco. “Who else can I count on to be crazy enough to throw himself over a cliff to save my sorry ass?”
Drayco grinned. “Guess this means you’re buying dinner.”
“I could buy you dinner every night for the rest of our lives, and it wouldn’t be payment enough. But sure, let’s go get some nice, juicy steak. With a heaping order of humble pie for dessert.”
Brock pointed over at Drayco’s car. “You’ll follow me?”
Drayco paused, then said, “I always have, Dad. I always have.”
END